News National

OSHAWA, Ont. — Reigning Olympic gold medallists Jennifer Jones and Brad Jacobs climbed to 3-0 records in the National and clinched a playoff spots Thursday afternoon.

Jones, from Winnipeg, earned a 7-6 extra-end victory over Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., and Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., defeated Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher 5-3. Middaugh and Bottcher both dropped to 1-2 records.

Edmonton’s Val Sweeting also secured a playoff spot in the women’s division at 3-0 after stealing a point in the extra end to edge Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland 4-3. The Tour Challenge Tier 1 winner Tirinzoni (1-1) came up light on her last stone.

Tracy Fleury, of Sudbury, Ont., improved to a 2-1 record with a 9-1 rout eliminating Julie Hastings (0-3), of Thornhill, Ont.

“We’re really happy to be 2-1,” Fleury said. “We like our position right now and we had a really good shootout, that helps too, so we’re looking forward to tomorrow.” 

Fleury stole single points in the first two ends, held Hastings to one in the third and made an open draw to count seven in the fourth end that brought out the early handshakes. 

“It was an interesting end,” Fleury said. “Just all of the rocks were in play and they had some bad luck, I think, and they got committed to the draw game at one point and the rocks just kind of built up.”

Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud also climbed to a 3-0 record and clinched a playoff spot following a 5-4 win to eliminate Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock (0-3) from playoff contention.

NOTES: The National is the third stop and second major of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday evening at the General Motors Centre. … Previously a men’s invitational, the National expanded this year to include a women’s division for the first time in the event’s history. … TV coverage continues at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE.